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Résumé en anglais

Using the 2008 ISSP “Social Inequality” dataset, this paper aims at analyzing
(1) the way in which in Italy, comparatively to other countries, individuals perceive
the role of formal education in the allocation of social positions (positive
belief in education based meritocracy) (2) the belief in the legitimacy of the
“education based meritocracy” model (normative belief) and (3) the factors explaining
both the positive and normative believes in meritocracy, at the collective
level and at the individual level. The analysis shows the importance of distinguishing
between positive and normative beliefs in meritocracy, as well as the
link between both dimensions, at the contextual level and at the individual level.
Perceptions of social structure prove in fact to be less influenced by reality itself
than by individual values. Concerning the Italian case, the strong – positive and
normative – belief in education-based meritocracy cannot be explained through
an objectively better situation of graduates on the labor market. Still, the educa-
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tional level itself has a positive influence of the normative belief in meritocracy,
as in most countries, which could confirm the socialization hypothesis (Baer and
Lambert, 1982).